ANYTHING: An Excerpt from my Upcoming Book

ANYTHING: An Excerpt from my Upcoming Book

The following is an excerpt from my upcoming book, ESCAPE: Break Free from Mediocre Christianity and Embrace the Radical, Set-Apart Life You were Made For.

Anything.” Such a simple yet dangerous word.

“I will do anything.” It’s the simplest and most dangerous prayer I’ve ever prayed. A prayer that wrecked my life and my heart for God. Four simple words. They changed everything.

I thought I understood the meaning of the word “anything.” I thought I knew what I was saying when I prayed, “God, I’ll do anything… anything! I just want my life’s work to make an eternal impact for Your Kingdom.” But I had no clue what I was saying. I didn’t realize what kind of power that word held.

On the day I first spoke those words, for me, “anything” meant starting a photography business founded on the principle that we are all made in God’s image. It was a photography business that I (emphasis on the “I”) dreamed of creating.

Shortly thereafter, “anything” took on a new definition. It came to mean writing a novel that brought to life the story of God, even though I never even had the slightest desire to write a book.

From there, “anything” took on a broader form: public speaking, blogging, a website, and the dream of another book. In time, “anything” required me to quit my job long before my husband, David, and I were financially ready to do so. Then something changed.

Somewhere along the way, I decided to take that sweet, little word “anything” and toss it into a box. I began defining the meaning of the word. I started telling God what the “anything” would be. I had grand dreams of what the word “anything” would mean for my future. I thought “anything,” would bring about a lucrative career in writing. I thought “anything” meant I would become a messenger to the church and a renowned speaker. I thought “anything” would fund the dream house my husband and I had conjured up in our naïve, little minds. I thought “anything” would bring about financial prosperity and a life of ease. I took a word that was supposed to be all-encompassing, non-exclusive, and forced it to mean, “Only the things I say and choose and dream. Only what I want. Only my ‘anything.’”

That’s when God decided to teach me a new word—humility. In time, God has broken me. He has reminded me of the commitment I made when I first uttered that simple, little prayer. God is the God of anything. He will do immeasurably more than all we can ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). Nothing is impossible for Him. God will do everything if only we are willing to say, “Anything.”

At this point in my journey, I now revisit the word “anything.” A word that now, quite literally, means “anything.” Not just the things that sound good to me or aren’t too far outside my comfort zone but literally “anything and everything.” For I can do all things through Him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).

This book is a documentation of that “anything,” because when I finally said, “Anything,” and meant what I said, God threw open the lid to the box that once contained that powerful, little word. He removed the boundaries. Unhindered and unbridled, God released His Spirit in that moment and gave me a new word—escape.

You just finished reading an excerpt from my upcoming book, ESCAPE: Break Free from Mediocre Christianity and Embrace the Radical, Set-Apart Life You were Made For. If you are not already on my list and would like to receive updates about the book, click here.

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